In the time it has taken James Halliday to compile his 26 Australian Wine Companions, the Chardonnay grape has emigrated to almost every hill and vale across our viticultural landscape. No other variety has adapted more successfully, from single barrel selections to vast commercial blends. No other inspires such singular focus in our winemakers to sharpen their craft. No other sends vignerons searching, with gold fever, for that next hill, or clone, or aspect. Chardonnay alone explores the breadth and personality of all Australian wine regions. In our tribute to James Halliday, the true patron of fine Australian wine, no other variety would do for this national wine competition. Organised by Wine Yarra Valley, the objective of the James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge is to affirm the quality of Australian Chardonnay and provide a catalyst for people to take a fresh look at this much-loved wine by providing an appropriate platform for the national search to recognize Australia’s finest chardonnay. A Welcome from the Committee Australian chardonnay has never been better. It is a great news story and one about which we should all be proud and excited. The level of support for the inaugural James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge has been overwhelming and we thank all of the exhibitors for getting behind it so enthusiastically. We thank James for his guidance and support in the design and execution of the competition and agreeing to be our patron. We were very lucky to be able to secure one of the most dynamic and talented groups of judges in Australia, literally from coast-to-coast, and thank them for volunteering their time, expertise and camaraderie. The competition would also be impossible without the generous donation of time and energy of the stewards and the army of other back-of-house support. If the competition itself is to be judged by the quality of wines put forward then we think we are off to a flying start. The depth of quality was exceptional and the final lineup at the last stage of judging was phenomenal. The next step is to tell the world. On behalf of the committee, Mark O’Callaghan Committee Chairman – James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge Committee 2 A Comment from the Chairman of Judges The inaugural James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge has generated an unprecedented buzz around a wine show in Australia, and all done in an incredibly short time. Original expectations projected entries from Australian producers to top out at around 250 wines, so when the Challenge was faced with nearly 450 entries, jaws dropped, excitement levels rose and another judging panel was engaged to zero in on the task at hand; to find the best Chardonnay available in Australia. The enthusiasm from judges and the industry alike merely signifies the industry’s desire to have a show that is so singularly focused on the “excitement machine” of the industry, Chardonnay. Having a winner take all competition under the banner of Australia’s most respected wine authority and a man who has done as much as anyone to reshape Chardonnay in Australia, James Halliday, provided just the right amount of gravitas to engage all and sundry. To ensure the job was handled with great care and attention to detail, many of Australia’s finest judges were assembled to get the job done properly. The panel chairs were Stephen Pannell, Jim Chatto and Philip Rich, who have time and again proven the talent of their skills. They lead a group of sommeliers, winemakers, scribes and brilliantly prepared stewards, ably directed by Brendan Hawker to put together a seamless and joyous judging experience. The value of running the Yarra Valley Wine Show concurrently with the James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge cannot be underestimated, as every panel had the opportunity to step away from Chardonnay, reset the antennae, and then get back to the job at hand. I believe the awards speak volumes about the teams’ dedication to get the right results, and the lengthy debate about every single entry’s merits should put exhibitors at ease, that no stone was left unturned. It was a privilege and a pleasure to be the first Chairman of Judges for this prestigious Challenge, and I look forward to watching the Challenge grow and become the premier Chardonnay award in the world; a fitting tribute to a man who is held in great esteem across the globe, and whose tireless work to seek out excellence has lead to the implementation of such an exciting event. Ben Edwards Chief Judge – James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge 3 4 Judges Ben Edwards Sommeliers Association, Vic Chairman of Judges Show judging, wine writing and consulting to restaurants, are just some of the roles Ben Edwards plays in the Australian wine scene. In addition Ben is also sole co-contributor to the Australian Wine Companion, its magazine and website and has spent nearly ten years at the helm of Sommeliers Australia as President. Ben is proud to bring over 20 years of hospitality experience to the table when discussing his passion for wine, food, travel and adventure. Stephen Pannell S.C. Pannell wines, SA Panel Chair has gained extensive knowledge and experience in the wine industry from his work with many of Australia’s best wineries (most recently as group red wine maker at BRL Hardy), and numerous vintages overseas at such places as Domaine des Comtes Lafon in Burgundy, Chateaux Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux and G.D. Vajra in Barolo. Other highlights in his career include winning the title of International Red Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine Challenge in London, winning the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy, twice winning the Max Schubert Trophy at the Adelaide Wine Show as well as being listed as one of the ‘50 most influential contributors to the world of wine’ by DECANTER Magazine. Philip Rich Prince Wine Store, Vic Panel Chair For over ten years Philip was responsible for all the sommelier training and wine lists including The Stokehouse and Circa’s multi award winning list. Philip is the founder and a partner in Prince Wine Store, South Melbourne which is one of the largest independent fine wine stores in Australia and has been writing a monthly wine column for the Australian Financial Review Magazine since 1999. A Len Evans Tutorial graduate, Philip has judged at numerous wine shows in Australia and New Zealand including the Royal Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide Wine Shows, Margaret River Wine Show, Hawkes Bay Wine Show and the Air New Zealand Wine Awards. He lives in Melbourne with his wife Marina and sons, Spencer and Felix. 5 Jim Chatto Peppertree, NSW Panel Chair is Chief Winemaker at Pepper Tree Wines in the Hunter Valley and in 2009 was named the ‘2009 Hunter Valley Winemaker of the Year’. Jim’s appointment to Pepper Tree in 2007 was described by James Halliday as bringing ‘….the expertise of the best young wine judge on the Australian wine show circuit, with the winemaking talents to match,…’. Jim is a senior wine show judge with over 14 years experience across both regional and capital city shows. 2012 sees Jim take over the reins as Chairman of Judges at the Hunter Valley Wine Show. In his spare time Jim operates his own small vineyard in ‘Far South’ Tasmania, specialising in Pinot Noir. David Brookes Vino Sense, SA After 8 years in the music industry David turned his attention to his love of wine and has now been involved in many facets of the Australian wine industry for over 20 years. He resides in South Australia’s Eden Valley, where he works as a consultant and freelance wine writer. He is the current Dux of the Len Evans Tutorial and 2012 sees David busy on the wine-show circuit and travelling to Europe to research articles. Matt Harrop Shadowfax, Vic is the winemaker at Shadowfax, a small vineyard and winery at Werribee. He has judged at several capital city and many regional wine shows. Dave Mackintosh Salo and Ar Fion, Vic After 4 years as winemaker for Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander Dave is now making his own wine under the Salo and Ar Fion labels in the Yarra Valley. Dave has over 10 years winemaking experience in New Zealand, Australia, Burgundy and Oregon and 4 years as a wine judge. Dave was a scholar for the Len Evans Tutorial in 2010 and Dux of the AWRI Advanced assessment course in 2009. 6 Lisa Jenkins City Wine Shop/The European, Vic A qualified chef, Lisa made the move from the back of house to the front early in her hospitality career. Her synergy with food and wine has held her in great stead in her current role as manager at The City Wine Shop where she has been for the past five years. In 2008 Lisa was selected by Sommeliers Australia to participate in the inaugural Sommeliers Australia benchmark wine tasting course. To follow, in 2010 she undertook the Court of Master Sommeliers programme, becoming a certified sommelier and placing second in Victoria for her exam results. A Len Evans scholar in 2011 and an associate judge at the Sydney Royal Wine show for the past two years, Lisa is enrolled in the upcoming WSET diploma to further her passion and knowledge. Cliff Royle Flametree Wines, WA has been making world class wines in the Margaret River region for many years and comes to Flametree Wines after twelve years as Chief Winemaker at Voyager Estate. Amongst a number of impressive accolades, Cliff was awarded Winemaker of the Year by Winestate Magazine in 2003, was a finalist in the Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year in 2005 and has been a senior judge at the Royal Melbourne and Perth Wine Shows over a number of years.